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The Tavistock and portman, NHS Foundation Trust

Understanding groups: reflective practice and work discussion (CPD44)

A facilitated reflective work discussion space to read and think with other public and voluntary sector professionals about group dynamics

Understanding groups
Fee
£920
Duration
30 hours
Delivery
Online: live teaching
Qualification
CPD certificate
Next start date
16 October 2025
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Download CPD brochure
 
  • Do you facilitate groups that ‘don’t always go to plan’?
  • Are you looking for a regular opportunity to think with others outside your organisation about your work?
  • Are you part of a work group or team that doesn’t always work well together?
  • Would you find group supervision on a monthly basis helpful?

Groups are an important aspect of everyday working life, but some groups work better than others. This programme will help you to think about the group process in the context of your work environment, help you understand group dynamics and the position individuals take within a group to facilitate a better functioning, more productive and happier working environment.

In this live discussion group delivered over Zoom, you will have the opportunity to reflect on inter-partnership, multi-disciplinary working within teams, groups of staff and/or service users/clients/patients. The discussions are supported by prior reading of case studies and theoretical references followed by consideration of their practical application to your work.

Aims and learning objectives

The group will provide an opportunity to:

  • present your own work, contribute ideas and share reflections with fellow course participants and the facilitator and learn from others
  • apply systems-psychodynamic ideas to your current practice
  • gain clarity to manage your team role and review working in multi-disciplinary teams
  • review specific work-related issues, concerns or new challenges and the complexities of managing with limited resources
  • analyse the institutional dynamics that develop through statutory change, restructuring, new working practices and associated institutional defences
  • have a reflective space to share difficult and complex work issues relating to clients, patients and service users

Who is this course for?

This course will be of interest to those working in the NHS, local authorities, throughout the public and voluntary sectors including NGOs and charities and the creative sector.

Course details

The next cohort will run on the following dates:

SessionsDateStart timeEnd time
Session 1 of 12Thursday 16 October 20259.15am11:45am
Session 2 of 12Thursday 6 November 20259.15am11:45am
Session 3 of 12Thursday 27 November 20259.15am11:45am
Session 4 of 12Thursday 11 December 20259.15am11:45am
Session 5 of 12Thursday 15 January 20269.15am11:45am
Session 6 of 12Thursday 12 February 20269.15am11:45am
Session 7 of 12Thursday 12 March 20269.15am11:45am
Session 8 of 12Thursday 16 April 20269.15am11:45am
Session 9 of 12Thursday 14 May 20269.15am11:45am
Session 10 of 12Thursday 11 June 20269.15am11:45am
Session 11 of 12Thursday 25 June 20269.15am11:45am
Session 12 of 12Thursday 16 July 20269.15am11:45am

This course will be delivered remotely using Zoom, and the sessions will not be recorded.

You will need a device with a microphone and camera together with a suitably fast internet connection. Although mobile devices and tablets can be used, we recommend the use of a laptop or desktop PC for the best experience. Some devices provided by employers may have restrictions in place. Please use this Zoom test link to check your set up before booking.

You will be sent the necessary login link about a week before the course start date. Should you have any concerns about the accessibility of remote delivery please contact us to discuss how we can best help you.

The programme offers you the opportunity to meet with other professionals to develop thinking about working in, and with, groups through sharing experiences, discussion and some guided reading. You will develop the skills needed to apply theoretical ideas to your work with groups and reflect on your own role within your organisational context.

Library membership

Included in your course fee, you will receive online membership to the Tavistock’s internationally-renowned library for the duration of your course.

Our friendly and knowledgeable library team will help to support you through your specialist CPD course, whatever your level of professional or academic experience. You will have access to an extensive range of eBooks, online journals, all the relevant key databases and our specialist audio-visual collection, plus reference access to all our print books.

Our information skills trainer has made lots of material available on Moodle to help you navigate our comprehensive electronic collections. PCs and photocopiers are available for your use (charges apply for printing and copying), as well as various online resources including audio/video playlists.

Testimonials

“Thanks for all the input over the years of CPD44. I have found the process invaluable. You introduce the groups to relevant theory and readings which underpin the discussion. Your role as facilitator has enabled the group to develop a high level of trust whereby I feel at ease in sharing challenging aspects of my professional life and how I can respond to these to maintain my capacity to remain thoughtful and involved with my work. You are not afraid to ask me to think about parts of my practice that are uncomfortable but have always done this in a supportive way. You have enabled me to progress in taking forward my application to become a full member of a Psychodynamic body which has helped me to validate many years of practical experience. ”
Mental Health Nursing University Lecturer
“It has been a very positive experience joining the CPD44 group supervision course. I have found your facilitation of the course very professional and helpful. I strongly value the theoretical underpinning and formulation-based discussion and readings you encourage. I also find your compassion, transparency and boundaries in managing the group has been very containing. I felt welcome and included straight from the beginning, which was important as some of the members have been part of the group for a number of years. The atmosphere has always felt kind, very respectful and inclusive. I generally feel so much more resilient, as a result of attending the group, as it is place where I feel I can bring the systemic and psychological challenges associated with working in the health sector. In the group these challenges are recognised and legitimised, rather than them being cut off and located in one particular part of the system or person.”
Medical Clinical Psychologist – ongoing group member
“I am sad to leave the group and hope that our paths cross again. Thank you very much for the group, I really enjoyed the way you facilitated it. It contained me in my busy workplace and gave me a framework to think about my experiences. I really liked the papers and your recommendations and will definitely go back to them in the future or bring them to my groups at work.”
Clinical Psychologist – Education
“I undertook the Supervision and Work Based Discussion Group for Public and Voluntary Sector Professionals at the Tavistock, Stephanie was the group supervisor. During the course, I was an interim Deputy Director for Nursing. Stephanie in my opinion is an exceptionally gifted, compassionate, able to constructively challenge, reflective experienced supervisor coach. The space provided was always invaluable somewhere where I could seek a welcome refuge from a demanding role in a complex organisation, to be helped to think/ link this to emotions and understand actions or inactions. The sessions were always well contained, as a standard format any actions from the last session were recapped and an agenda set for the time allocated with outcomes agreed. ”
Deputy Director Nursing Mental Health

Course facilitators

Book your place today

You can book a place at any time. You’ll receive confirmation by email, and we will be in touch approximately one week before the course starts with detailed joining instructions.

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